Beschreibung der Desorption von Zink aus Flußsedimenten mittels Freundlich- und Langmuir-Isothermen Mathematical Description of the Desorption of Zinc from River Sediments by NTA Using Freundlich and Langmuir Equations

Remobilization of zinc from sediments from Rhine and Neckar rivers with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) in water has been studied in order to obtain a mathematical relation between quantities of mobilized zinc on sediments and concentration of zinc and NTA in aqueous solution. Remobilization has been measured by stirring the sediments for 70 hours in polyethylene flasks and analyzing dissolved zinc by AAS. Concentration of free zinc ions in solution is correlated with amount of zinc fixed on the sediments in form of adsorption equations by Freundlich and Langmuir and the linear equation. Whereas for the Rhine river sediment all correlations are of similar quality, the standard deviation for the linear correlation with the Neckar sediment is about twice as large as for the others. The adsorption energies on both sediments are similar, however, the adsorption capacity and therefore, the remobilized amount of zinc is larger for the Rhine sediment. For mathematical modelling of technical processes, eg., for technical decontamination of sediments the linear correlation may be recommended.     

On the Limnology of Deep and Saline Lake Burdur in Turkey

Limnological characteristics of Lake Burdur in Lake District in south‐western Turkey are presented. It is a deep, tectonic (estimated max. depth 100 m), athalassic, highly alkaline, and saline lake. A set of physical and chemical variables was monitored, phyto‐ and zooplankton was sampled from surface layer of the lake during 1997. Physico‐chemical variables indicated that the lake is hyposaline and composed of some hydrochemically different water layers formed by groundwater sources located on the bottom of the lake. The phytoplankton composition of Lake Burdur consisted of Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, Dinophyta, and Chrysophyta. The abundance and number of species of Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta were higher than the other taxa. The zooplankton composition of the Lake consisted of Rhizopoda, Rotifera, and Crustacea. Number of species of Rotifera was higher than the other taxa. The diversities of the phyto‐ and zooplankton were calculated according to the Shannon‐Weaver diversity index. The diversity of each group was found to be low in the lake.     

Effects of Wastewater-borne Heavy Metals on Mangrove Plants and Soil Microbial Activities

Effects of wastewater-borne heavy metals on growth of young plants (9-month-old Bruguiera gymnorrhiza) and soil microbial activities in mangrove microcosms were evaluated. During the 26-week loading period, each mangrove microcosm received 31.2 litres synthetic wastewater of three strengths: normal, medium (5 times of normal strength) and strong (10 times of normal strength). Normal strength wastewater had Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr and Ni concentrations of 3, 5, 0.2, 2 and 3 mg l⁻¹, respectively. Plant growth and total plant biomass in wastewater-treated microcosms were lower than that in the control, and the maximum reduction was found in microcosms receiving strong wastewater. Alkaline phosphatase activity and ATP contents of the mangrove soils receiving wastewater were also reduced. More than 95% reduction in these two parameters was found in soils loaded with strong wastewater. Microtox test demonstrated that soil elutriates obtained from microcosms receiving strong wastewater were of the greatest toxicity (EC₅₀ was 23%). These results show that high concentrations of heavy metals present in strong wastewater were toxic and posed negative effects to both mangrove plants and soil microbial activities. Microbial activities were generally more sensitive to the toxicity of heavy metals than plants.     

Spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metal concentrations in mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Baie des Chaleurs, New Brunswick, Canada

Previous studies on heavy metal contamination of the Baie des Chaleurs focus only on industrial centers and overlooked the ecosystem as a whole. To fill this gap, the objective of this study is to establish a baseline of the spatio-temporal distribution of heavy metals in mussels from the Baie des Chaleurs based on the ecosystem approach. Our results show, for the first time, a cadmium contamination in mussels across the south coast of the Baie des Chaleurs and not only in industrial centers. Our results also confirm previous studies showing heavy metal contamination of the Belledune area. This study demonstrates that the use of the ecosystemic approach is essential to obtain a comprehensive picture of environmental contamination in marine ecosystems.     

Applicability of Single and Sequential Extractions for Assessing the Potential Mobility of Heavy Metals in Contaminated Soils

Heavy metal polluted sites are bearing an acute hazardous risk for the groundwater, but also a potential one. While the acute risk can be assessed directly via seepage water measurements, determination of the potential risk is much more complex. It results from the sum of all reactions that are capable to mobilize heavy metals under worst case environ-mental conditions. Using a fourfold sequential extraction (SE₄) such a worst case was simulated for four soils highly contaminated with Pb, Zn, and Cu. The resulting potential mobilizable amounts ϕ_pm have been compared with those derived from 6 single extractions. By means of variance analyses, it is shown that ϕ_pm of lead can be represented by a single extraction with NH₂OH. In contrary, ϕ_pm of zinc can be represented using the pH_stat test or an extraction with aqua regia, while ϕ_pm of copper can be represented only by aqua regia extraction. The water-soluble amounts deriving from the DEV-S4 test do not correlate with the potential mobilizable amounts of any metal. Therefore, an assessment of contaminated sites should include an aqua regia extraction additionally to the seepage water analysis.     

Assessment of Cyto‐ and Genotoxic Effects of a Variety of Chemicals Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the most simple eukaryotic organism is broadly accepted as a laboratory model organism. For the detection of potential toxic effects of pure compounds and complex composed samples like wastewater a miniaturised short‐term in vitro cyto‐ and genotoxicity screening assay was developed. The assay based on genetically modified S. cerevisiae cells deleted in the prominent drug efflux transporters Pdr5, Snq2, and Yor1 that facilitate pleiotropic drug resistance. The yeast strain devoid of these proteins that mediate the efflux of structurally diverse hydrophobic compounds exhibited an increased sensitivity to a variety of organic compounds. The DNA damage inducible RAD54 promoter fused to a yeast optimized derivative of the GFP (green fluorescent protein) gene from the jelly fish Aequorea victoria served as an indicator of DNA damage in this strain. Various pure compounds including the direct‐acting genotoxins methyl‐N‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), 4‐nitroquinoline‐N‐oxide (4‐NQO), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and hydroxyurea as well as the heavy metals cadmium and chromium(VI), the insecticide lindane and the central nervous system stimulant caffeine were tested exhibiting dose dependent induction of green fluorescence. All compounds were in parallel examined for chronic toxicity. A bioassay detecting simultaneously geno‐ and cytotoxic effects of potential toxicants in a single assay can be an important tool with a variety of applications in environmental monitoring and aquatic ecotoxicology. By partial automation and miniaturisation to microtitration scale this bioassay enables sensitive and fast biomonitoring for a multitude of samples.     

Distribution and Chemical Forms of Heavy Metals in the Flood 1997 Sediments of the Upper and Middle Odra River and its Tributarie:, Poland

At the beginning of August 1997, 72 samples of flood sediments were taken along the Upper and Middle Odra river and its tributaries. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, and Fe in the bulk samples and in the <20 μm fraction were determined by AAS method. The contents of metals vary in wide ranges and are significantly higher in the <20 μm fraction of sediments. The range concentrations vary as following: Zn 274...3 656 mg/kg, Pb 79...1 773 mg/kg, Cd 1.7...11.8 mg/kg, Cu 38...2 244 mg/kg, Cr 14...384 mg/kg, Co 4...73 mg/kg, Hg 0.2...3.9 mg/kg, Mn 214...6 972 mg/kg, and Fe 1.5...16.3 %. The highest amount of the metals was found in the Wrocław and Głogów regions. The mobile (exchangeable and carbonatic fractions) portions of metals reached up to 50 % of Zn, 40 % of Pb and Cu and 60 % of Mn.     

Effect of Nickel and Cadmium on Ammonium Uptake Kinetics of Free and Immobilized Cells of Anacystis nidulans

The stress effect of Ni and Cd on the ammonium uptake varied significantly (ANOVA test) in free and immobilized state of the test organism. The effect due to the interaction between different variables (cell state type, metal type and metal dose) was studied to depict the significant or non‐significant variation in the ammonium uptake by free and immobilized cells in the presence of metal ions. Ammonium uptake exhibited a competitive mode of inhibition in the presence of Ni in both free and immobilized state of the organism. However, Cd exhibited non‐competitive and competitive inhibition in free and immobilized cells, respectively. The study demonstrates that there is a considerable influence of metal ions on the ammonium uptake. Cd was found to be more toxic compared to Ni in both free and immobilized state.     

Untersuchungen zur Abtrennung von Schwermetallen aus Abwasser mit frisch hergestelltem Magnetit Studies for Separation of Heavy Metals from Wastewater with Freshly Precipitated Magnetite

The separation of heavy metals from wastewater may be improved by precipitation/flocculation with iron- or aluminium salts. Often, the resulting products are voluminous, water-containing, amorphous hydroxides which show only limited flocculation properties and may possibly pose problems with the technical separation from the aqueous phase. The application of magnetite could be advantageous because magnetite is ferromagnetic and can be separated very quickly in a magnetic field. First of all, a simple preparation method for magnetite was studied. Pure magnetite could be prepared by mixing an iron(II) salt solution with an equivalent amount of sodium hydroxide at room temperature without oxidation by air. The required reaction time was only 3 hours. For the precipitation of heavy metals from an electroplating wastewater, a better metal elimination and smaller sludge volumes resulted with that artificially produced magnetite in comparison with a precipitation by NaOH. Thereby not only the adsorption of metals was established but also coagulation effects of the magnetite sludge with small metal hydroxide particles. By means of the experimental results. sorption of nickel and chromium was compiled as function of pH and precipitation time. Because freshly precipitated magnetite shows very good sorption and flocculation properties, and pH of precipitation may be lower, its use in high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) could be more effective for metal elimination than magnetite powder.     

Boron Isotopic Composition of Freshwater Lakes from Central Europe and Possible Contamination Sources

The boron isotopic compositions of common synthetic boron products, municipal wastewaters from Switzerland, and three Swiss freshwater lakes were investigated. The δ11B values (δ11B values are normalized to the standard NIST SRM-951) of synthetic Na-borates (–0.4 to 7.6‰) and Ca-Na-borates (–13.4 to –4.9‰) overlap with those of natural borate minerals and hence suggest that the isotopic signal of anthropogenic boron is not modified during the manufacturing process. As a result it is possible to predict the isotopic composition of synthetic boron products and their potential impact upon contamination of water resources. The δ11B values of municipal wastewaters from two locations in northern Switzerland (–7.7 to –4.5‰) reflect utilization of Na/Ca- and/or Ca-borates depleted in 11B. Freshwater lakes from Switzerland (Lake Zürich, Greifensee, Lake Lugano) yielded a δ11B range of –1.7 to 7.1‰ and boron concentrations of 17 to 102 mg L–1. The boron isotopic ratios decrease with increasing boron concentrations, indicating mixing between anthropogenic boron with a low δ11B signature and meteoric boron with a heavier isotopic signal. We suggest that the isotopic composition of meteoric boron over central Europe has δ11B values in the range of ca. 10 to 20‰, whereas in coastal areas the marine component is larger with a higher 11B/10B ratio (δ11B ∼ 30‰).     

Effects of the Herbicide Metazachlor on Phytoplankton and Periphyton Communities in Outdoor Mesocosms

The effects of the chloroacetanilide herbicide metazachlor have been investigated in outdoor artificial mesocosms. Decreasing phytoplankton densities were caused by the application, however, the communities recovered after 30 to 35 days. Periphyton growth was found to be affected not only by the herbicide application but by the presence of species with different ability to grow on artificial substrates. Zooplankton diversity was small due to low density of ingestible algae species. Oxygen saturation was found to be correlated with the dosage levels of the herbicide in the second half of the study.     

Baseline heavy metals and metalloid values in blood of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from Baja California Sur, Mexico

Environmental pollution due to heavy metals is having an increased impact on marine wildlife accentuated by anthropogenic changes in the planet including overfishing, agricultural runoff and marine emerging infectious diseases. Sea turtles are considered sentinels of ecological health in marine ecosystems. The objective of this study was to determine baseline concentrations of zinc, cadmium, copper, nickel, selenium, manganese, mercury and lead in blood of 22 clinically healthy, loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), captured for several reasons in Puerto López Mateos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Zinc was the most prevalent metal in blood (41.89 μg g⁻¹), followed by Selenium (10.92 μg g⁻¹). The mean concentration of toxic metal Cadmium was 6.12 μg g⁻¹ and 1.01 μg g⁻¹ respectively. Mean concentrations of metals followed this pattern: Zn > Se > Ni > Cu > Mn > Cd > Pb and Hg. We can conclude that blood is an excellent tissue to measure in relatively non-invasive way baseline values of heavy metals in Caretta caretta.     

Production of Drinking Water from Highly Contaminated Surface Waters: Removal of Organic,Inorganic, and Microbial Contaminants Applying Mobile Membrane Filtration Units

In military out of area missions of the Bundeswehr, it can be necessary to produce drinking water even from highly polluted surface waters containing a variety of organic, inorganic, and microbiological contaminants. Thus, mobile drinking water purification systems must be able to remove such contaminants as far as possible to meet the requirements of the German and European drinking water regulation/directive. Presently, two novel drinking water purification units applying membrane filtration undergo intensive long‐term trials carried out by the Bundeswehr. If these trials positively proof the functionality of these units and their ability to remove all possible contaminants they shall substitute so far available devices which use large amounts of chemicals and charcoal filtration for water purification.In the course of a research project, the functionality of the new devices and their efficacy to remove high amounts of algae, microbes, and organic and inorganic pollutants are additionally tested in “worst‐case” field studies. In September 2000, the first mobile drinking water purification unit was tested at the Teltowkanal in Berlin, Germany.This canal was chosen because it carries high burdens of municipal sewage effluents. The results from the fatigue test confirmed the ability of the water purification unit to reduce the concentrations of all contaminants meeting the maximum tolerance levels set by the German/European drinking water regulation.The pre‐filtration device was very effective in removing algae and solid particles to protect the membranes from clogging and to enable an almost maintenance‐free operation. Residues of pharmaceuticals and some other organic contaminants have almost totally been removed from the surface water where they were detected at individual concentrations up to the μg/L‐level.     

Acute and Chronic Toxic Effects of Cadmium on some Haematological,Biochemical, and Enzymological Parameters in the Fresh Water Teleost Fish Channa punctatus Akute und chronisch toxische Wirkungen von Cadmium auf einige hämatologische,biochemische und enzymologische Parameter im Süßwasserfisch Channa punctatus

The haematological, biochemical, and enzymological alterations produced on exposure of Channa punctatus to LC₅₀ (11.2 mg/L) for 96 h and to a sublethal concentration (1.12 mg/L) of cadmium (Cd²⁺) for 15, 30, 60, and 120 days have been studied. The fish were hypoglycemic and hypolactemic. The pyruvate content of blood and liver decreased in acute and all stages of chronic exposure except for 30 days where significant increase was recorded. Depletion was noted in the total protein and glycogen content of liver and muscle, and the level of lactate in liver in the two types of exposure. The levels of muscle lactate and pyruvate increased in both exposures. The activities of hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase decreased in liver after 96 h and all stages of chronic exposure except 30 days. The activities of hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase in muscle and glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase in serum, liver, and muscles increased in all exposures. The activities of succinate and malate dehydrogenases in liver and muscles decreased after acute and all stages of chronic exposure. The above results suggest that glycolysis and gluconeogenesis were impaired in liver but glycolysis prevailed in muscle. Aerobic oxidation is adversely affected in metal exposed fish, while proteolysis was increased.     

Effects of Animal Size on Concentrations of Metallothionein and Metals in Periwinkles Littorina littorea Collected from the Firth of Clyde, Scotland

Different sizes of Littorina littorea were collected from four areas in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Their metallothionein (MT) and heavy metal concentrations were analysed using the Silver Saturation Method and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, respectively. Concentrations of MT, Cd and Zn (as μg g⁻¹ dry soft-body weight) generally decreased with an increase in size of L. littorea. MT concentrations were better correlated with Cd than with Zn or Cu concentrations. Nevertheless, MT and the metals in periwinkles (as μg individual⁻¹) increased significantly with increasing size. Concentrations of MT and the metals among the sampling areas were compared at a standardised soft-body weight (10 mg). The results from Discriminant Analysis based on all metal concentrations indicate that Largs is different from the other areas and characterised by high Fe concentrations in L. littorea. The problems and differences in using either soft-body weight or shell length as independent variable for size-standardisation are discussed.     

Shifts in the Processes of Oxygen and Nutrient Balances in the River Elbe since the Transformation of the Economic Structure

The reduction of pollution in the river Elbe since 1990 has resulted in changes in the processes taking place in the river. The heterotrophic degradation which dominated until 1990 was accompanied by a lack of oxygen, floating masses of sewage fungi, and sludge formation in the areas of still water. Since the early 1990s, autotrophic processes have come to dominate, with an increase in pH fluctuations and the oxygen production potential, but evidently not the chlorophyll level during the growing season. The degradable organic pollution of the Elbe is determined by algae production. The high levels of ammonium previously encountered in the Elbe were attributable to not only dischargers but also in particular the lack of oxygen in the water. Via heterotrophic nitrate assimilation, nitrate served as an oxygen reserve, resulting in high levels of nitrite. At present, when the oxygen contents are sufficient, the concentration reductions of nitrate and nitrite along the reach of the Elbe are approximately parallel, which in view of the lack of ammonium indicates the denitrification of microzones low in oxygen. The relative proportion of structurally bound substance turnover will become increasingly important for the Elbeπs material budget.     

Geodynamic framework of large volcanic fields highlighted by SRTM DEMs: Method evaluation and perspectives exampled on three areas from the Cameroon Volcanic Line

This study is a part of a wider investigation to evaluate how much can be learnt by using low-cost methods such as systematic moderate-resolution remote sensing to map and quantify geological structures at the regional scale on very large volcanic provinces only partly studied in the field. Volcanic-centre and cinder-cone distribution, faults and structural lineaments are mapped combining Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and Landsat satellite images. As an example of the method, we present the interpretation of structural data and morphological features of three contrasted areas from the Cameroon Volcanic Line (Tombel graben, Upper Benue valley, and Ngaoundéré area) for which local field studies are available for comparison. At a local scale, this remote-sensing method of mapping displays good to excellent correlations with previously published data and, by itself, it allows one to constrain the structural setting of each area. Numerical treatment of vent and cinder-cone localisation can be related to tension fractures (T direction), whereas numerical treatment of the lineaments constrains the associated fault system to a single transtensional (strike-slip + extension) Riedel type fracture network. The first results on the Cameroon Volcanic Line are promising and could be used at a larger scale on numerous volcanic provinces for which field data are not yet available.